PMID: 2108960Apr 25, 1990Paper

Predominant structural features of the cell wall arabinogalactan of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as revealed through characterization of oligoglycosyl alditol fragments by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and by 1H and 13C NMR analyses.

The Journal of Biological Chemistry
Mamadou DafféMichael R McNeil

Abstract

The peptidoglycan-bound arabinogalactan of a virulent strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was per-O-methylated, partially hydrolyzed with acid, and the resulting oligosaccharides reduced and O-pentadeute-rioethylated. The per-O-alkylated oligoglycosyl alditol fragments were separated by high pressure liquid chromatography and the structures of 43 of these constituents determined by 1H NMR and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The arabinogalactan was shown to consist of a galactan containing alternating 5-linked beta-D-galactofuranosyl (Galf) and 6-linked beta-D-Galf residues. The arabinan chains are attached to C-5 of some of the 6-linked Galf residues. The arabinan is comprised of at least three major structural domains. One is composed of linear 5-linked alpha-D-arabinofuranosyl (Araf) residues; a second consists of branched 3,5-linked alpha-D-Araf units substituted with 5-linked alpha-D-Araf residues at both branched positions. The non-reducing terminal region of the arabinan was characterized by a 3,5-linked alpha-D-Araf residue substituted at both branched positions with the disaccharide beta-D-Araf-(1----2)-alpha-D-Araf. 13C NMR of intact soluble arabinogalactan established the presence of both alpha- and beta-Araf r...Continue Reading

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